Driving the Day

NEWS — PAUL SINGER, the billionaire hedge fund manager, gave a $1 million donation to the Senate Leadership Fund on Aug. 1, according to a recently released FEC report. Senate Leadership Fund is the main outside super PAC supporting Senate Republicans.

— THE TELEGRAPH: “Commuters fled in terror after a blast sent a ‘fireball’ and a ‘wall of flame’ through a packed London Underground train at Parsons Green station. Witnesses reported seeing several people hurt and ‘covered in blood’ after a ‘flash and a bang’ on the District Line Tube in west London on Friday morning. Pictures and video posted on social media showed a flaming bucket — which is said to have had wires coming from it — inside a plastic carrier bag on the floor of a carriage.” http://bit.ly/2xCSaFJ

ANOTHER MISSILE FROM NORTH KOREA — “North Korea fires missile over Japan in longest-ever flight,” by AP’s Kim Tong-Hyung and Foster Klug in Seoul: “North Korea conducted its longest-ever test flight of a ballistic missile Friday, sending an intermediate-range weapon hurtling over U.S. ally Japan into the northern Pacific Ocean in a launch that signals both defiance to its rivals and a big technological advance. Since President Donald Trump threatened the North with ‘fire and fury’ in August, Pyongyang has conducted its most powerful nuclear test, threatened to send missiles into the waters around the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam and launched two missiles of increasing range over Japan. July saw its first tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could strike deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected

“The growing frequency, power and confidence displayed by these tests seem to confirm what governments and outside experts have long feared: North Korea is closer than ever to its goal of building a military arsenal that can viably target both U.S. troops in Asia and the U.S. homeland. This, in turn, is meant to allow North Korea greater military freedom in the region by raising doubts in Seoul and Tokyo that Washington would risk the annihilation of a U.S. city to protect its Asian allies.” http://bit.ly/2x5RE1t

— L.A. TIMES: “Japan calls latest North Korean missile launch a ‘serious act of provocation’,” by Matt Stiles in Seoul: “In a show of defense, South Korean military officials said they immediately retaliated by sending a missile of their own about 150 miles into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan — the same distance as the base where the North Korean missile originated. ‘Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean army for further provocations with strengthened vigilance by following their movements and maintaining our readiness,’ the Defense Ministry said in a statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said his government would hold an emergency meeting in response to the launch.” http://wapo.st/2h6YiiH

Good Friday morning. INSIDE THE OVAL — MIKE SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN: “Trump Humiliated Jeff Sessions After Mueller Appointment”: “Shortly after learning in May that a special counsel had been appointed to investigate links between his campaign associates and Russia, President Trump berated Attorney General Jeff Sessions in an Oval Office meeting and said he should resign, according to current and former administration officials and others briefed on the matter.

“The president attributed the appointment of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, to Mr. Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s Russia investigation — a move Mr. Trump believes was the moment his administration effectively lost control over the inquiry. Accusing Mr. Sessions of ‘disloyalty,’ Mr. Trump unleashed a string of insults on his attorney general.

“Ashen and emotional, Mr. Sessions told the president he would quit and sent a resignation letter to the White House, according to four people who were told details of the meeting. Mr. Sessions would later tell associates that the demeaning way the president addressed him was the most humiliating experience in decades of public life.” http://nyti.ms/2x15NxV

BREAKING OVERNIGHT — BOSTON GLOBE: “Harvard Kennedy School rescinds invite for Chelsea Manning to serve as visiting fellow,” by Felicia Gans: “The Harvard Kennedy School is withdrawing its invitation for Chelsea Manning to serve as a visiting fellow, just one day after former acting CIA director Michael Morell resigned from his position of senior fellow at the school in protest against Harvard’s decision. Douglas W. Elmendorf, dean of the Kennedy School, said that designating Manning as a visiting fellow ‘was a mistake’ for which he accepts responsibility, but that Manning is still invited to speak at the Forum.

“‘I see more clearly now that many people view a Visiting Fellow title as an honorific, so we should weigh that consideration when offering invitations,” Elmendorf said in a statement released early Friday morning, just after midnight. “In particular, I think we should weigh, for each potential visitor, what members of the Kennedy School community could learn from that person’s visit against the extent to which that person’s conduct fulfills the values of public service to which we aspire.’” http://bit.ly/2faK6on

— THE BIG PICTURE: “Inside Trump’s dalliance with Democrats,” by Rachael Bade and Josh Dawsey: “Trump is on a bipartisan tear of late. Elated by what he viewed as glowing press after his debt ceiling deal with Democratic leaders ‘Chuck and Nancy’ last week, Trump wants to replicate that thrill of victory, which he believes Republicans have failed to deliver since his inauguration. In recent weeks, Trump has complained in private that it’s difficult to have any sort of relationship — or even make small talk — with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He’s told staff that he finds Speaker Paul Ryan, whom he’s dubbed a ‘boy scout,’ dry as well, but the two have some rapport.

“By contrast, Trump can relate to Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, who talk more in non-Washington terms that he understands, according to people familiar with their meetings. Trump wants to keep meeting with them. No one knows how long his bipartisan kick will last or how successful he’ll be. Democrats have little political upside to working with an unpopular president whom their base abhors. And there will certainly be limits to how much the White House can cut out Republican leadership, who still control what the House and Senate actually vote on.” http://politi.co/2eZhURu

–“Why Did Trump Work Again With Democrats? ‘He Likes Us,’ Schumer Says,” by NYT’s Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush: “Mr. Schumer, who had engaged in a public feud with Mr. Trump for months, thinks that Democrats — meaning Mr. Schumer himself — seem to have finally figured out a way to exert influence on the president without getting too close to a man most Democratic voters view as unfit to serve. ‘He likes us. He likes me, anyway,’ Mr. Schumer was overheard saying on the Senate floor on Thursday, adding that he had told the president, ‘You’re much better off if you can sometimes step right and sometimes step left.’” http://nyti.ms/2vY5uAi

****** A message from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: The global race to deploy 5G wireless is on—and America needs to win. Government action on spectrum and infrastructure policy will allow U.S. wireless companies to invest $275 billion, create more than 3 million jobs, and add $500 billion to the economy, according to Accenture. Learn more at CTIA.org. ******

WHERE GOP IS GOING ON DACA — “Ryan to impanel GOP working group on DACA,” by Rachael Bade: “Speaker Paul Ryan is impaneling an informal working group of moderate Republicans and immigration hard-liners to find a solution for so-called Dreamers that the House GOP conference can support. …

“Immigration hard-liners, including House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), will sit on the panel. So, too, will more centrist members from Hispanic-populated districts who have followed immigration closely, including Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Will Hurd (R-Texas).

“The chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), will also join the working group. So, too, will Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, and Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), another member of the Homeland Security Committee.” http://politi.co/2wsTpSR

DEMS FACING THEIR OWN DACA PROBLEMS — “Pelosi, Schumer face ire from the left over Dreamer talks,” by Elana Schor and Heather Caygle: “Democratic leaders are facing fresh trouble with their left flank after cutting their latest deal with President Donald Trump to protect Dreamers. Hispanic lawmakers were blindsided by the Wednesday night announcement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that they’d support legislation to help the nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants in exchange for an unspecified boost in border security. And immigration activists were frustrated to see Democrats claim victory only days after calling for a stand-alone vote on a path to citizenship for Dreamers.

“The concerns are particularly acute in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where some members worry Democratic leaders — despite getting Trump to drop demands for a border wall in the talks — have already given away too much in the nascent negotiations and say their members are being shut out of key talks. … Pelosi sought to assuage her caucus’ concerns Thursday morning, telling House Democratic whips that despite ‘some misunderstandings in the press about a deal, we made a deal to make a deal. We made a deal to go forward.’” http://politi.co/2x3UXET

— PELOSI TRUTH TALK: “So let us embrace our success instead of tinkling all over it, as we have a tendency to do all over ourselves,” Pelosi added, according to a source in the room. ‘Because this — I’m just being very honest with you, okay? Because we don’t have the majority.”

MUELLER WATCH — “Manafort spokesman to testify before grand jury Friday,” by Josh Dawsey: “The spokesman, Jason Maloni, has worked for Trump’s former campaign chairman since early 2017 and has wide visibility into Manafort’s dealings. It’s unclear exactly what prosecutors want to know from Maloni. Asking a PR person to testify is an unusual step that raises some troubling questions, according to lawyers and others in the industry. Spokespeople are paid and generally enjoy confidential relationships with clients, often seeing private documents and other private matters.” http://politi.co/2xDYihe

–- “Roger Stone to appear before House Russia probe September 26,” by CNN’s Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb: http://cnn.it/2x4yqaZ

ABOUT THAT PRIVATE PLANE REQUEST — Morning Money’s Ben White sat down with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin yesterday at the POLITICO Pro Summit. From White: “Of course, I asked him about the story-du-jour, Mnuchin’s initial request for a government plane for his honeymoon trip with Scottish actress Louise Linton: ‘Let me be clear. I’m very sensitive to the use of government funds. I’ve never asked the government to pay for my personal travel,’ he told me. ‘This had nothing to do with convenience. This was purely about national security.’

“Mnuchin also denied reports that his recent trip aboard a government plane to Kentucky — made famous by Linton’s Instagram post — had anything to do with checking out the eclipse. ‘You know, people in Kentucky took this stuff very serious. Being a New Yorker … I was like, the eclipse? Really? I don’t have any interest in watching the eclipse.’” Here’s a clip of the plane convohttp://politi.co/2x1g3WX … Full convo with House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richie Neal on tax reformhttp://politi.co/2wuLnsQ

— SURVEY SAYS: At yesterday’s inaugural summit, we polled the audience of top policy and political professionals. During House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady’s (R-Texas) panel discussion, POLITICO Pros were asked whether they believed Congress would pass a major tax bill this year. Their response: 89% said no. 11% said yes.

TRUMP’S FRIDAY — TRUMP meets with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and will speak to leaders of the Jewish community ahead of Rosh Hashana. He meets one on one with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) before heading to Andrews Air Force Base. At Andrews, he’ll participate in an “air fleet demonstration” before delivering remarks. Trump then goes to Bedminster.

THE JUICE …

— “History Orders Bill Clinton Impeachment Drama Series ‘The Breach’ From RJ Cutler,” by Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva: “History has given the green light to ‘The Breach: Inside The Impeachment of Bill Clinton,’ a six-part scripted drama series from R.J. Cutler based on Peter Baker’s bestseller ‘The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton.’” http://bit.ly/2yd2odg

JOIN US AT #CONCORDIA17: POLITICO is the official media partner of the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit taking place in conjunction with the UN General Assembly in NYC. Join Anna as she moderates a session with David Axelrod and Tim Phillips on political strategy in the age of information load on Monday starting at 12:55 p.m. She and Jack Blanchard, author of the recently launched London Playbook, will also team up for an official Playbook Reporter Briefing on Tuesday. Sign up here:http://bit.ly/2gGAdey

Playbook Reads

PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump can be seen speaking to the media reflected in the sunglasses of first lady Melania Trump as they arrive at the White House on Sept. 14. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

2018 WATCH — “Democrats cling to the impossible: Winning the Senate in 2018,” by Kevin Robillard and Gabe Debenedetti: “Senate Democrats are three seats shy of a majority and almost entirely on defense in the 2018 elections, making it all but impossible for them to retake the chamber next year. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and DSCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen are privately refusing to rule out an improbable midterm victory, even though they must first defend 10 incumbents in states President Donald Trump won.

“Their insistence is primarily to keep donors invested and excited about next year’s Senate races, said a handful of top party operatives. But Democrats also want to be prepared to ride a massive wave next fall should one develop, potentially taking advantage of bloody Republican primaries to spur a red-state surprise and swing the Senate. … Democrats’ path to 51 Senate seats in 2018 is exceedingly narrow. They would have to defend all of their Trump-state incumbents, including five in states the president won by double-digits.” http://politi.co/2h7SNjv

KFILE — “Senate candidate Roy Moore this year suggested 9/11 might have been punishment for U.S. turning away from God,” by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Nathan McDermott: “Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore suggested earlier this year that the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks might have happened because the US had distanced itself from God. Moore, a hardline conservative running against fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in a runoff primary race, made the comments in February during a speech at the Open Door Baptist Church, a video reviewed by CNN’s KFile shows.” http://cnn.it/2wtHQe9

REPEAL AND REPLACE, PART II? — “Trump may replace Obama’s big climate rule — not just repeal it,” by Emily Holden: “The Trump administration is opening the door to offering its own replacement for former President Barack Obama’s landmark climate regulation — rather than just erasing it altogether. A mend-it-don’t-end-it approach on Obama’s 2015 rule could appease power companies that say the EPA needs to impose some kind of climate regulation — even if it’s much weaker — to avoid triggering courtroom challenges that would cloud the industry in years of uncertainty.

“But it would run afoul of demands from some conservative activists, who have pressured EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to reject the idea that climate change is a problem requiring federal action. The agency aims by early October to issue a proposal to undo Obama’s climate rule, along with a separate advance notice of its intent to consider a replacement, a source close to the process told POLITICO.” http://politi.co/2h8w0o4

****** Amessage from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: Tomorrow’s 5G networks will create 3 million jobs, add $500 billion to the economy, and fuel innovation and entrepreneurialism across every sector. If policymakers move quickly to release more spectrum and modernize infrastructure rules, the wireless industry stands ready to invest $275 billion to build these next-gen networks, according to Accenture. This will drive breakthrough advancements in remote health care, connected vehicles, energy, education and beyond—making our lives better and safer. But the race to deploy 5G wireless networks is underway—and we’re at a critical moment. The EU, China, Japan, South Korea and others are doing everything they can to win. If policymakers act now, the U.S. can continue our global leadership in wireless. Learn how at CTIA.org. ******

BUSINESS BURST — “Trump Push for U.S. Jobs May Spur Boom in ‘Corporate Welfare,’” by Bloomberg’s John McCormick: “President Donald Trump’s quest to open more factories and corporate headquarters in the U.S. scored a major win Thursday as Wisconsin lawmakers approved the biggest corporate subsidy package ever awarded to a foreign company. … Some analysts foresee a rush of new state-level subsidies and tax breaks as governors compete for any new facilities built by companies suddenly flush with newfound tax savings. Call it tax reform in reverse — a prospect that doesn’t please portions of Trump’s base, or deep-pocketed conservative donors, who equate such sweetheart deals to ‘corporate welfare.’” https://bloom.bg/2jtOu31

VALLEY TALK — “Google and Facebook Fret Over Anti-Prostitution Bill’s Fallout,” by Bloomberg’s Todd Shields: “Google and Facebook Inc. are opposing a Senate bill that aims to squelch online trafficking of children, a stance that makes the Silicon Valley giants uneasy allies of a website accused of providing an advertising platform for teen prostitution. The companies and tech trade groups say online providers will face greater liability for speech and videos posted by users if U.S. lawmakers move against Backpage.com and its online classified ads. Bill supporters disagree, saying the measure creates a narrow exception needed to vanquish a harmful operator hiding behind current law, and won’t harm the internet.” https://bloom.bg/2wdDFIt

CLICKER – “Cassini’s Mission to Saturn in 100 Images,” by NYT’s Jonathan Corum: “NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will burn up in Saturn’s atmosphere on Friday, after 20 years in space.” http://nyti.ms/2x6dHFj

MEDIAWATCH — NORAH O’DONNELL is celebrating her five year anniversary on “CBS This Morning” this week. Top moments from the past five yearshttp://cbsn.ws/2jtB7jb

–RECODE’s PETER KAFKA — “New York Times reporter Mike Isaac is writing a book about Uber: Crazy ambition, betrayal, sex, deceit and naked power grabs all make for a page-turner.” http://bit.ly/2h653h7

— PELOSI AND PRESTON: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke with CNN senior political analyst Mark Preston for his SiriusXM show, “Full Stop with Mark Preston.” Pelosi talked about President Trump and the potential for the use of subpoena power should Democrats regain the majority in the House. The show airs Saturday at noon and Sunday at 5 p.m. on Sirius XM POTUS 124. CLIPS FOR PLAYBOOKERS: Her relationship with Trumphttp://bit.ly/2fmg3Xq … Trump’s learning curve with Congresshttp://bit.ly/2xCHI1g … What she thinks of her Democratic criticshttp://bit.ly/2x0JRmA

Playbookers

SPOTTED: Anthony Atamanuik, who plays Trump on Comedy Central’s “The President Show,” head writer Christine Nangle at dinner at the Palm with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and wife Franni, hosted by Amy Nathan and Howard Fineman, a consultant to the show – pichttp://bit.ly/2xpcCcn … Bill Clinton at Oceana’s New York Gala on Wednesday night at Blue Hill at Stone Barns — Clinton presented actor Ted Danson with a lifetime achievement award — pichttp://bit.ly/2x3xNys

TRANSITIONS – Haley Morris has started at Waymo working in communications. She previously worked for Microsoft and was national press secretary for the O’Malley campaign and communications director for Gary Peters’ 2014 Senate run.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Ashley Parker, WaPo White House reporter, MSNBC contributor and NYT alum. How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “I assume I’ll spend the day covering President Trump — though I did manage to get a generous colleague to take my morning shift, so at least I know that my birthday won’t start at 6:15 a.m. filing off of something Trump may Tweet. Then I’m continuing my tour of Babies Along The North Eastern Seaboard, and heading to New York for the weekend to visit my best friend from college and her new daughter (Fiona!). My boyfriend also got us tickets to see ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ — which means he’ll likely get to sit next to me while I weep through the better part of the show.” Read her Playbook Plus Q&A:http://politi.co/2wtLEfr

****** A message from CTIA and America’s wireless industry: We need new rules for new 5G networks. New policies that will allow the U.S. to win the race to 5G and enable breakthrough advancements in healthcare, transportation, energy and more. First, a pipeline of low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum will help meet today’s mobile needs and enable the 5G networks of tomorrow. Second, every level of government must modernize their rules for the building of small cell wireless infrastructure. Third, permanent and common sense federal regulations for interstate services like mobile broadband will preserve an open internet and protect consumer privacy while promoting innovation and investment. Finally, America’s tax structure must be updated to spur billions of dollars in new 5G investment. Learn more about how wireless is working to invest in America’s future at CTIA.org. ******

The host of TYT Network's nationally-syndicated Bill Press Show (Monday-Friday from 7-9am ET), Press attends the daily White House press briefing and writes a weekly column for the powerhouse politics website The Hill.